1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an easy to handle hair cosmetic composition that acts on the hair and is rinsed off after application.
2. Discussion of the Background
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 3223208 describes a hair treatment composition that combines a cationic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, a fat or oil, and a water soluble alcohol. This composition forms liquid crystals when diluted with 2 to 30 times the amount of water. Although the surfactants and the fat or oil in the above-described composition remain on the hair, its effects on the hair are not sufficient because the low viscosity of the liquid makes handling difficult. In addition, effects are exhibited only when the hair treatment composition forms liquid crystals when diluting with 2 to 30 times the amount of water.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a composition which can be handled easily and acts efficiently on the hair thereby making the hair pleasant to touch, improving appearance and the like, and is easily rinsed off after application.
The inventors have found, surprisingly, that a hair cosmetic composition prepared by dissolving a component in a system rich in a polyhydric alcohol with hydroxypropyl cellulose as a thickener is easy to handle and acts efficiently on the hair, thereby providing the hair with good touch, feel, appearance and the like. They have also found that since such a hair cosmetic composition generates heat upon mixing with water when rinsed after application, the effects of the component which acts on the hair are heightened.
The objects of this invention are attained by providing a composition that includes:
(A) 40 to 98 wt. % of a polyhydric alcohol;
(B) at least one component, soluble in component (A), selected from the group consisting of fats, oils, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, higher alcohols, hydroxycarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, aromatic carboxylic acids, urea, guanidines and aromatic alcohols and mixtures thereof;
(C) 0 to 20 wt. % of water; and
(D) 0.3 to 10 wt. % of hydroxypropyl cellulose.
The composition according to the present invention acts efficiently on the hair and can be easily handled.
As the component (A), polyhydric alcohols in the liquid form at normal temperature and pressure are preferred, with those having 2 to 8 carbon atoms in total being more preferred. Specific preferred examples include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,2-butylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, 3-methyl-1,3-butylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, hexylene glycol, glycerin, trimethylol propane, pentaerythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol.
Polyhydric alcohols can be used either singly or in combination. The amount of the polyhydric alcohol is desirably 40 to 98 wt. % (which will hereafter be called xe2x80x9c%xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cwt. %xe2x80x9d and is defined as the weight % of a component with regard to the weight of the whole composition) of the hair cosmetic composition. Such a large amount permits the dissolution of the component (B) in the component (A) and thereby efficient exhibition of the effects of the component (B) on the hair, with 50 to 95 wt. % being more preferred and 60 to 90 wt. % being particularly preferred. These ranges include all values and subranges therebetween.
The component (B) which acts on the hair is a component which is different from the polyhydric alcohol (A) and is soluble in the polyhydric alcohol, thereby providing the hair with good touch, feel (moisturized feeling, smoothness), pliability and appearance such as luster. Preferred examples of the component mainly for imparting the hair with a moisturized feel and an improved pliability include fats and oils, and nonionic surfactants.
Component (B), which is soluble in component (A), can be selected from the group consisting of fats, oils, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, higher alcohols, hydroxycarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, aromatic carboxylic acids, urea, guanidines and aromatic alcohols, and mixtures thereof.
Preferred examples of the fats and oils include higher alcohols having a linear or branched C8-24 alkyl or alkenyl group; hydrocarbon oils such as liquid paraffin, Vaseline and solid paraffin; lanolin derivatives such as liquid lanolin and lanolin fatty acid esters; higher fatty acid esters having 8 to 24 carbon atoms; higher fatty acids having 8 to 24 carbon atoms; polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers containing not more than 5 moles of POE such as polyoxyethylene (3 moles) cetyl ether; animal and vegetable fats and oils such as mink oil and olive oil; cholesterol fatty acid esters; di- and triglycerides; and silicon oils such as dimethyl polysiloxane. Among the above-exemplified fats and oils, the higher alcohols, higher fatty acid esters and polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers are more preferred, with the higher alcohols being particularly preferred.
Preferred examples of the nonionic surfactant include monoglycerides such as sorbitan fatty acid esters and glycerin monooleates; glyceryl ethers such as glyceryl C8-24 alkyl ethers; and polyether-modified silicones such as dimethyl polysiloxane polyoxyalkylene copolymer. Among them, those having an HLB not greater than 10 are preferred from the viewpoint of touch feeling. More preferably those having an HLB of not greater than 9, and most preferably those having an HLB of not greater than 7 are also suitable. These ranges include all values and subranges therebetween.
Preferred examples of the component (B) for improving the smoothness of the hair include cationic surfactants, of which quaternary ammonium salts are preferred, such as linear alkyl trimethylammonium halides, linear dialkyl dimethylammonium halides, branched alkyl trimethylammonium halides, linear dialkylammonium halides and branched dialkyl dimethylammonium halides. The linear or branched alkyl group preferably has 8 to 24 carbon atoms. More preferred examples include cetyl trimethylammonium halides, stearyl trimethylammonium halides, behenyl trimethylammonium halides and dicetyl dimethylammonium halides. Preferred examples of the counter ions of these quaternary ammonium salts include chloride ions, bromide ions and iodide ions.
Preferred examples of the component (B) for providing the hair with luster include hydroxycarboxylic acids such as xcex1-hydroxy acid and xcex2-hydroxy acid; dicarboxylic acids such as 1,2-dicarboxylic acid and 1,3-dicarboxylic acid, aromatic carboxylic acids, urea, guanidines and aromatic alcohols.
Preferred examples of the hydroxycarboxylic acid include glycolic acid, lactic acid, methyl lactic acid, mandelic acid, 4-hydroxymandelic acid, 3-hydroxy-4-methoxymandelic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid, 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl) lactic acid, 3-(4xe2x80x2-hydroxyphenyl)lactic acid, 3,4-dihydroxymandelic acid, glyceric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid and citric acid. Preferred examples of the dicarboxylic acid include malonic acid, succinic acid, maleic acid and fumaric acid. Preferred examples of the aromatic carboxylic acid include benzoic acid, phthalic acid and salicylic acid. Among them, malic acid, succinic acid and maleic acid are most preferred.
It is more preferred to add at least one component (B) selected from the above-described higher alcohols, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants and hydroxycarboxylic acids. These components (B) can be used either singly or in combination. No limitation is imposed on the amount of the component (B) insofar as it can provide good touch feeling and appearance to the hair. Preferably, however, component (B) is added in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 40%, more preferably 0.05 to 30%, most preferably 0.1 to 25%. These ranges include all values and subranges therebetween.
When the hair cosmetic composition of the present invention is used, water as the component (C) will react with a polyhydric alcohol, component (A), and generate heat, thereby heightening the effects of the component (B) that acts on the hair. From such a viewpoint, an amount of water as small as possible is preferred. Preferably, water is added in an amount of 0 to 20%, more preferably 1 to 10% and particularly preferably 2 to 5%. These ranges include all values and subranges therebetween.
In the present invention, hydroxypropyl cellulose is employed as the thickener (D). A large number of thickeners suitable for use in a cosmetic composition are known, but in the system of the present invention, hydroxypropyl cellulose is desired because it has excellent solubility in component (A) and thickening can be provided without damaging the touch feeling. The hydroxypropyl cellulose having a viscosity of 100 to 4000 mPa.s as measured at 20xc2x0 C. in a 2% aqueous solution is preferred from the viewpoint of thickening efficiency, of which that having a viscosity of 200 to 3500 mPa.s is more preferred. These ranges include all values and subranges therebetween.
The hydroxypropyl cellulose (D) is added in an amount of 0.3 to 10%, with 0.5 to 5% being particularly preferred. These ranges include all values and subranges therebetween.
To the hair cosmetic composition of the present invention, a perfume, antiseptic, colorant, pH regulator, ultraviolet absorber, antioxidant and/or protein derivative can be also added. The system of the hair cosmetic composition according to the present invention is particularly preferred to have a pH of 2 to 7, with pH 2.5 to 5 being more preferred. These ranges include all values and subranges therebetween.
Preferably, the hair cosmetic composition of the present invention is rinsed after application to the hair and it is used, for example, as a hair rinse, hair conditioner, hair treatment or hair pack. More preferably, the hair cosmetic composition of the present invention is rinsed after a proper amount is taken in hand and then applied to the hair or after a proper amount is applied directly to the hair from its container. It is also possible to apply the hair cosmetic composition of the present invention to the hair by hand or directly from its container, followed by application of another hair rinse, hair conditioner or the like. This makes it possible not only to bring about the effects of the hair cosmetic composition of the present invention, but also to heighten the effects of another hair rinse, hair conditioner or the like. In this manner, the component (B) in the hair cosmetic composition of the present invention can easily be applied to the hair due to the appropriate viscosity of the composition and it therefore acts on the hair efficiently. When the hair cosmetic composition is rinsed away with water, the component (A) reacts with the water and the temperature of the cosmetic composition rises, which improves the action of the component (B) on the hair. Accordingly, it is preferred, when the cosmetic composition of the present invention is mixed in the same amount of water (so as to set their ratio at 1:1) having the same temperature, to adjust the amount of the component (A) so as to increase the water temperature by at least 2xc2x0 C.